Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Hang On to Your "High Button Shoes"!

I'm afraid it's begun - musical theater season at the Sinclair household, that is. Mom spends hours upon hours on the web, researching unusual topics; topics considered by many to be less than intellectually stimulating.

I have bookmarked tons of c.1913 fashion plates (if weight comes into account when working online.)

Rutgers University football history has impacted my limited understanding of the evolving of collegiate football. Due to a ruling in 1912 the quarterback became the darling of the team. I always wondered why and now I know. I've also bookmarked plenty of uniform photos of the day.

Mack Sennett and his Keystone Cops made films from 1912 - 1920 and were quite the rage. I just rented a collection of slapstick comedy in order to study such stuff - I understand timing is everything in slapstick. Hope we can nail it!

The tango swept the American pop culture in1913 in spite of Papal outcries of indecency (hmmm, you have to admit, that will get you thinking a bit.) We'll try to present a decent rendition...

Atlantic City Beach boasted a bathhouse, a current phenomenon (c. 1913) in America's newfound culture of leisure. You could rent a locker for the season. Bathing suit were rented per day for a nominal fee. Waterfront establishments were met with severe criticism from the conservative element who prophecied trouble in the years to come if young men and women were to allowed to have such casual interaction apart from adult supervision. In hopes of alleviating criticism - and perhaps even a sincere concern on their part that such prophecy just might come true (perhaps) - the management of such enterprises hired security police to enforce discretion in attire and behavior. It's not hard to see where that got them.

I have been unsuccessful in researching bird watching societies of America in the early 1900's. There is a book available, but it focuses on ornithology in Britain. Besides that, it costs money. There must be some free info out there somewhere.

The Model T was transforming a nation's mode of travel. Pretty revolutionary in many regards, impacting American society in the realm of both leisure and business.

I've also learned a bit about Kokomo, Indiana. Why was that city included in the play? Maybe you'll just have to come and find out!

At any rate, you can see that my mind is swimming (almost literally as I undertake choreography for "A Sunday By the Sea".) Speaking of dance, I'm arranging tango lessons, looking for a polka expert, endeavoring to figure out what a "Cakewalk" might look like, and wondering just who in the crowd might pick up some softshoe quickly.

For birding in the early 1900's you could try contacting the American Birders Assoc. They have a chapter--the Brookline Bird Club in Mass.--that began in 1913. It's possible they might have an historical division with information, being from New England and all.